 The Global Environment Facility Small Grants program, which is implemented by UNDP, is supporting St. Lucia's efforts to integrate research and innovation into the apiculture industry. Jesse Leos reports. Since 2012, JeffSGP-UNDP St Lucia has funded 13 apiculture projects totaling EC$1.6 million. Already successes have been achieved in producing byproducts such as soap, shampoo, lotions, candles, muscle pain relief creams, granola and mead, which is a delicious wine. This investment has already contributed to a 15% increase in honey production, trained over 200 beekeepers, and increased their income by 40-60%. Recent testing of St Lucia's honey by a laboratory in France has confirmed its suitability for exporting to the European Union. Driven by a vision which focuses on research and innovation, JeffSGP-UNDP, the Government of St Lucia, the IANOLA Apiculture Collective and other NGOs, will establish the Apiculture Research and Learning Institute, ARLI, as a Centre of Excellence for Research, Innovation and Learning in St Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean. What is the mission of ALI to contribute to a sustainable climate-smart environment for pollinators? So we are going beyond bees to look at all the pollinators in the environment in St Lucia through a programme that is science-driven, important to us, develops and nurtures strategic partnerships, mutually beneficial partnerships, builds capacity and generates benefits for communities. We believe Apiculture has those attributes to uplift our rural societies and to contribute significantly to our economy. According to the Law of Diffusion of Innovation, approximately 2.5% of any population are the real innovators. These, when behind with the early adopters representing 13.5% of any population, will provide the impetus for sustainable development. JeffSGP-UNDP has targeted such pioneers to begin to push us beyond the frontier of science, agro-processing, agriculture and biodiversity in St Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean. The IONOLA Apiculture Collective fits within this pioneering category and has been breaking new ground in this area and will lead us with local and international partners to where we have not been before. We are a collection of young and old beekeepers together, working to try to elevate the industry and embrace not just the craft of beekeeping but also embrace the science of beekeeping. The science is the most critical important thing that we have left behind and what we've focused on in our organisation is to focus on the science, to try to understand what's happening with our bees, where they are failing and where they are not failing and how we can improve the ecosystem around and the analysis of the diseases possibly that bees are carrying. During a recent site visit to the IAC Apiculture Training Centre in Castries, a delegation from the Embassy of Taiwan led by Ambassador His Excellency Peter Chen was introduced to the vision and mission of the Apiculture Research and Learning Institute toward the Apiary at VG and participated in an interactive session of candle making using beeswax. Taiwan provides a broad spectrum of assistance to Senutia including agriculture, education, technology, business, health, etc. and we committed to work with Senutia government to achieve UN sustainable development goals and also enhance resilience to climate change and we look forward to working with all stakeholders and partners to benefit all Senutians in the region so I truly believe when we work together we will share a better future. In the long run the Apiculture Research and Learning Institute is expected to serve as a multi-purpose field research centre that will focus on growth and optimization of the apiculture industry mangrove avifona and coral species restoration and the establishment of a vibrant diverse and authentic apitarism experience in St. Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean. To achieve these objectives Arlie will create strong mutually beneficial and enduring partnerships with Sanket Senevis, Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Samoa as well as with local regional and international universities and research centres. For the Government Information Service I am Jesse Leance reporting.